Flax-pulling machine.



v PATENTED JUNE-23 .1908. N 891362 VE. M OGAULEY.

PLAXPULLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED D EU. 1.7. 1907. 3 SHEBTS SHEET 2.

as Nonms PETER: ca. wAsmmn-arv. c.

PATENTED JUNE 2,3, 190s.-

E. MGGAULEY.

FLAX PULLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 17. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1HE NoRRls PETERS co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

- UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

EDWARD `McGAULEYfOF MINNEAPOLS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM T. MCCAULEY, OF OSGOODE, CANADA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tune 23, 1008.

Application led December 17, 1907. Serial No. 406,913. I-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD MCOAULEY, citizen of the United States, residing at city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, have vinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Flax-Pulling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in flax pulling apparatus and is designed more especially as an attachment which may be ap lied to the ordinary reaper or binder.

ong the objects of the invention are the following: First, to provide an apparatus which may be constructed at 'a low cost and easily and quickly applied to an ordinary binder; second, to provide a simple and eflicient construction which will simultaneously pull the flax over a space equal to the entire ength of the ordinary cutter bar of an ordinaryreaper, or mower, and finally, to provide a construction in which a plurality of grasping members or fingers are used, each of which grips only a small portion of the flax whereby excessive bending or tearing of the flax is avoided.

With these and possibly other objects in view, the invention includes the various features of construction, and arrangement and combination of arts hereinafter described and particular y set forth in the appended claims.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing conventionally a sufficient portion of a reaper to illustrate the `application of the invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing two of the grasping arms, on a large scale, with the adjacent parts. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of Fig. 8. Fig, 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one of the cams.

Referring by reference characters to these drawings the numeral 1 designates the framework of any suitable apparatus such as the reaper or binder which is mounted upon wheels 2 and 3, the latter being provided with suitable -projections 3ft upon its surface to enable it to act as a driving wheel to drive the various parts in the manner well understood by those skilled in the art.

The numeral 4 designates the grain platform but as this and the binder mechanism form no part of the present invention, the grain platform is only conventionally shown and the binder mechanism omitted for clearness of illustration.

In applying my attachment to a binder the sickle and fingers or guards would be omitted. At each end of the finger or guard bar and bolted thereto and to frame parts in rear thereof, are located cam plates or bars 5 and 6 which have cam tracks or faces as indicated at 7 and journal or bearing sockets 8 which receive front and rear shafts 9 and 10. These shafts carry sprocket wheels 11 and 12 over which pass sprocket chains 13, certain links of which in turn carry a plurality of longitudinal hollow rods 14 of which six are found to be a convenient number. Toeach of these rods is rigidly secured a series of fingers 15, each linger being conveniently held in place by having a split socket portion clamped around the tubular bar by the bolts 16. Each of these lingers 15 is provided with a lug or projection 17 whichcarries a pivot pin 18 on which is pivotally mounted the forked portion 19 of an oscillating gripping linger 20. The arms of the forked portion extend down on opposite 'sides of the hollow rod or bar 14 and are slotted to engage the ends of a bolt or pin 21 which asses through elongated slots 22 in the hollow rod or bar 14 and through a hole in an inner reciprocating rod 22a. It will thus be seen that as the rod 2 2a is reciprocated the oscillating finger 20 will be swung first to one side into the openfposition which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and then in an opposite direction into the position shown in full lines, in which'position, owing to the relative shape of the oscillating and stationary fingers, which is indicated in cross section in F1g. 5, the flax will be securely gripped between the parts. The surfaces 7 ofthe cams 5'and 6 act upon rollers 23 and 24 secured at opposite ends of the inner rods 22a and these cam surfaces are so shaped that'the fin ers are closed on the flax when about 8 inc es from the ground and maintained in their closed position while the flax is pulled and carried by the endless chains to a horizontal position over the platform of the binder. cams causes the oscillating n ers to be open allowing the flax to be droppe upon the can- In this position the action of the vas or deck in a position parallel therewith and perpendicular to the line of travel of the machine.

The endless chain carriers are rotated by power applied conveniently to the extended end of the shaft 9 by a gear wheel 25 keyed 4on the end thereof which meshes with an-.. other gear or pinion 26 on the countershaft 27 which in turn is operated by a sprocket chain and pinion connection 28 with the main driving wheel 3. A suitable clutch 29`may` be provided for throwing the `pulling mechanism into and out of operation.

` As there is naturally more or less looseness in all chains with the hollow `rods 14 held and guided solely by the links there would be more or less objectionable rocking-or vibrating of the links rods and fingers. To avoid this I secure on opposite ends of each rod 14 an arm 14a extending atan angle to the fingers'and having its end adapted to be guided by a cam groove 14b on the corresponding end late.

While I have described my invention as an attachment to an ordinary reaper or binder it will be understood that it is not limited in this respect but may be embodied in any suitable machine capable of properly supporting and operating the gripping and pulling mechanism hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a suitable supporting frame, of a pair ofv endless carriers supported thereby, a lurality of rows of gripping devices carrie by said endless carriers, and means for opening and closing all the gripping devices of `each row at determined points in their travel, substantially as described. f l

2. In combination, a suitable wheeled supporting frame, a pair of endless carriers thereon with means for operating them, a plurality of rows of gripping devices supported by said carriers, cams carried by the frame in proximity to thejendless carriers and means coacting with said cams .for operating the gripping devices upon the movement of the carriers, substantially as described.

3.. In combination, a suitable frame, a plurality of endless carriers supported thereby,

a plurality of bars carried by and extending between said endless carriers, a series of gripping devices carried by each bar and including movable members, a reciprocating element mounted in proximity to each bar and operatively connected with the movable elements ofthe gripping devices, and station-ary cams supported from the frame for operating said reciprocating elements, substantially as described.

4. In combination, a suitable frame, endless carriers supported thereby, a plurality of hollow bars operatively connected with said endless carriers, a plurality of stationary iingers carried by each bar, a movable gripping finger pivotally mounted in proximity to each stationary finger, a rod mounted to reciprocate within each hollow bar and proj ecting at the ends beyond the same and stationary cam devices supported from the frame and coacting with said projecting ends.

5. In combination, a suitable frame, endless carriers supported thereby, a plurality of hollow bars carried by said carriers, stationary fingers secured to said bars, a plurality of movable iingers pivotally mounted between the stationary Jfingers having portions overlapping the hollow bars, .a reciprocating rod mounted within each hollow bar, said hollow .bars .having elongated slots and pins or projections carried by said rods, and extending through said slots into operative engagement with the overlapping portions of the movable fingers and means for reciprocating said lrods during the movement of the said carriers, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a suitable frame having a grain platform, a plurality `of endless carriers supported in advance of said,

latform and extendinor in the direction of the ine of travel of said platform, a plurality of rows of gripping devices carried by said carriers an arranged .parallel with the forward edge of the deck, and means for causing all the grippers of each row to be closed when they .are remote from the deck and opened when they are in proximity thereto.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature 'in presence of `two witnesses.

EDWARD MCCAULEY. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. BUFFINGTQN, ETTA M. DECKER. 

